Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem observed the U.S. Coast Guard offloading more than $500 million worth of illegal drugs seized by 14 interdictions in the eastern Pacific Ocean, calling it a "historic" day for the nation.
“Here at Port Everglades, over 22.5 tons, or 45,000 pounds, of cocaine and 50 pounds of marijuana, valued at over half a billion dollars, are going to be offloaded and taken out of circulation,” Noem said.
"That means that fewer families are going to be torn apart by addiction," she added. "That fewer lives are going to be lost to overdoses, that communities will be safer and fewer resources will be at the hands of dangerous violent cartels that seek to do all us harm."
Detecting and interdicting illicit drug traffickers on the high seas involves significant interagency and international coordination. Joint Interagency Task Force-South, in Key West, conducts the detection and monitoring of aerial and maritime transit of illegal drugs. Once an interdiction becomes imminent, the law enforcement phase of the operation begins, and control of the operation shifts to the U.S. Coast Guard for the interdiction and apprehension phases. Interdictions in the Eastern Pacific Ocean are performed by members of the U.S. Coast Guard under the authority and control of the Eleventh Coast Guard District, headquartered in Alameda, California.
The Coast Guard continues increased operations to interdict, seize and disrupt transshipments of cocaine and other bulk illicit drugs by sea. These drugs fuel and enable cartels and transnational criminal organizations to produce and traffic illegal fentanyl, threatening the United States.
Each of these interdictions initiate criminal investigations by federal law enforcement partners. Several were tied to the transnational criminal organizations responsible. Drug evidence from these cases is linked to cartels recently designated as foreign terrorist organizations by the U.S. government, including Sinaloa and Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generaciόn. These interdictions denied those criminal organizations more than half a billion dollars and provide critical evidence for their total elimination. (Coast Guard)
"You heard it said before that the Coast Guard's national security cutters are game changers in the counter-drug mission, but they still require a crew of men and women willing to serve on or over the sea, and place themselves in harm's way," said Capt. Jonathan Carter, commanding officer of Stone. "I'm incredibly proud of our crew's performance and their efforts to combat narco-terrorism this deployment. In one exceptional case, the crew interdicted four go-fast vessels in 15 minutes, seizing nearly 11,000 pounds of cocaine that will never be mixed with deadly fentanyl to threaten American lives here at home."
The Coast Guard said 35 suspected smugglers will now face federal prosecution in U.S. courts.
Today, over 22.5 tons of drugs were offloaded and removed from circulation by the @USCG. We are clearing our communities of illicit drugs that fuel addiction and crime.
— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) March 20, 2025
In less than 100 days, President Trump is delivering on his promise to make America safe again. pic.twitter.com/QupzdzmXzS
Thanks to our Coast Guard’s maritime security and interdiction efforts, over half a BILLION dollars worth of illegal drugs NEVER reached American communities.
— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) March 20, 2025
That means fewer lives lost to overdoses and fewer resources in the hands of violent cartels. pic.twitter.com/JI4PWQCrAV
.@Sec_Noem: "In the first 100 days of President Trump's administration, he's already delivered on his campaign promises to make America safe again... Here at Port Everglades, over 2.5 tons or 45,000 pounds of cocaine and 50 pounds of marijuana, valued at over half a billion… pic.twitter.com/dnVoRu8XEz
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 20, 2025
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